Age of Invention
by Doppler Effect
Summary: Mustang needs an advantage to get the position of Fuhrer. After having plenty of time with no alchemy, Ed has built an invention with Al that will give him that advantage. -one shot-


a/n: this story is a result of going to a museum, seeing a replica of something that will be later revealed, and saying, 'Heh. Could see the Elrics making something like that after Ed lost his alchemy. Hey, that'd make a good story.'

Don't own Fullmetal Alchemist. Never will either, unfortunately.

* * *

><p>"You two! Are you trying to get yourselves killed?" Winry shouted at the two brothers.<p>

"No, Winry, we're just trying to do something really, really stupid," Ed responded with a grin.

She sighed. Al also grinned at her, and motioned her over. Sighing, Winry checked the mechanics behind what they were building. "I don't think this will fall apart under you two, unless you do something really stupid. Wait a second." She gave both of them a meaningful glare.

"We already ran some test drives, so we know that it's working. It's not all that sturdy, so I guess the real question becomes… what do we do with it?" Al asked both of them.

"You know, when I thought of this, I didn't really think all that far past building it." Ed shrugged.

Winry gave them a thoughtful look. "Grumman's not doing too well these days. He looked pretty bad the last time we saw him."

Ed raised an eyebrow. "So?"

"So, Mustang's a General. He's going to be up for bid for the next Fuhrer when Grumman passes. He's going to need all the help he can get. General Armstrong will back him up, since she wants to stay at Briggs, but he's still going to need help. You should give these ideas to him. I think you still owe him," Winry explained.

Al nodded. "We should."

Ed sighed. "Yeah, I still owe him. A lot." Ed grinned evilly, and gave a laugh to match it. "Heheh. Now how should we show him this?"

* * *

><p>"We're not going to make it," Mustang said quietly to Hawkeye. They were both looking at some information that said one of the other generals had just managed to pull off a stunt that would definitely get him votes from the other generals. "Damn it. We get this far, and we can't reach it."<p>

Hawkeye grimaced slightly. "We'll pull through and get the spot. We've done the impossible before. General Armstrong will probably back you."

"She's made it clear that she doesn't care who becomes the Fuhrer as long as they let her stay in Briggs. I don't think she likes the idea of having to retrain all of Central's soldiers to fit her needs," Mustang said. The others in the room probably knew what they were saying, and were probably thinking the same thing. However, they didn't need to hear their two leaders saying that.

Falman answered a phone. After a few seconds, he set down the phone, confused. "General? Winry Rockbell just called. She said that Ed and Al made something, and are willing to give the credit to you. She said it'll definitely help get you the spot. She said she was in a hurry, and I heard her yelling at Ed and Al in the background to be careful. There was so sort of loud noise."

"What?" Mustang frowned.

"Ms. Rockbell wasn't specific, but she did say that you might want to get Fuhrer Grumman, and go outside onto the grounds."

* * *

><p>"What are we looking for?" General Sten asked, frowning and skeptical.<p>

"The previous Fullmetal Alchemist and his brother," Mustang responded. Someone had apparently told another general what Mustang had told Grumman, and now all the generals were standing outside. He hadn't yet admitted that he had no idea in hell what they were looking for.

A familiar figure walked out of the trees toward them. Seconds later, when she was standing beside them, Winry sighed. "Sorry, thought they'd get here a little earlier. Turbulence probably got in the way. Still trying to get over that glitch."

"Excuse me, miss, but what are you talking about?" General Poda asked, cocking his head at Winry. "And are you sure they're coming?"

"I'm sure. This is the hundredth flight they've made on this prototype. If they were going to crash, they'd have done it by now," Winry waved a hand vaguely.

"What?"

A loud sound filled the area. Military personnel around the generals covered their ears, frantically scanning the surrounding area for the source of the noise. People shouted at each other, trying to see if anyone knew what was going on.

"There they are!" Winry shouted, delighted, as she pointed… up.

The generals and the Fuhrer looked up in shock, as a mechanical machine flew through the skies overhead. A motor powered it in front, and wings stuck out on either side.

Mustang grinned. So that was what Ed and Al had been doing for the past few years.

Al peeked over the side of the plane, and waved at the people below him. He looked back ahead at Ed, who was steering the plane over the buildings. "Hey, Ed? Should we do something other than fly it?"

Ed grinned at him over his shoulder. "Probably." The plane dipped, and turned left, hard. It curved up into the air again, and circled over Central. "Wish we had more agility in this. We're going to have to work on that later."

"Yeah. Hey, when should we land it?"

"I don't know."

"I think Grumman's telling us to land it below."

"Oh, really? Interesting."

"Where do we land it?"

"Um."

"Ed?"

"Uh."

"Hey, Ed? Where are we going to land the plane?"

"Um, land it?"

"Brother, don't tell me you thought through every single part of this introduction to the plane, but where to land it."

"Okay, then I won't."

"You're joking, right?"

"Heh. Sure."

* * *

><p>an: Yup. I really did just do that. I don't think anyone else was making planes, since there weren't any in Fullmetal Alchemist, and why the hell would they be walking everywhere if they had planes? This isn't LOTR, people. Okay, granted, the first planes were not that agile, but still. They could travel. My parents are pretty sure that the Age of Invention was around the time of the first automobiles and the plane. (Guys, the Industrial Revolution was with the first mills and factories)

Yes, it was odd an all over the place. I meant for it to be like that, though. There's nothing I'm going to do to change it structure wise. This is as long as I think I can make it.

Think about it. Wright brothers. Elric brothers. Kind of fits.

Museum was the Air and Space museum, if you hadn't guessed. Worst food on the face of the earth, I'll say that much. But then, they're known for planes and such, not food.


End file.
